Wonderfully well researched . . . engrossing, enlightening’ The Hindu
The Delhi Sultanate period (1206-1526) is commonly portrayed as an age of chaos and violence-of plundering kings, turbulent dynasties, and the aggressive imposition of Islam on India. But it was also the era that saw the creation of a pan-Indian empire, on the foundations of which the Mughals and the British later built their own Indian empires. The encounter between Islam and Hinduism also transformed, among other things, India’s architecture, literature, music and food. Abraham Eraly brings this fascinating period vividly alive, combining erudition with powerful storytelling, and analysis with anecdote.
Archives: Books
The First Spring Part 2
The First Spring Part 1
Sikkim
This is the incredible true story of Sikkim, a fairy-tale kingdom in the Himalayas that survived the end of the British Empire in India only to be annexed by India in 1975. Sikkim: Requiem for a Himalayan Kingdom tells the remarkable story of Thondup, the handsome last King of Sikkim, and his young and beautiful American queen, Hope Cooke, thrust unwittingly into the spotlight as they sought support for Sikkim’s independence after their wedding in 1963. But as tensions between India and China spilled over into war in the Himalayas, Sikkim became a pawn in the Cold War ideological battle that played out in Asia during the 1960s and 1970s.
Rumours circulated that Hope was a CIA spy. Meanwhile, a shadowy Scottish adventuress, the Kazini of Chakung, married to Sikkim’s leading political figure, coordinated opposition to the Palace. As the geopolitical tectonic plates of the Himalayas ground together, Sikkim never stood a chance. Thondup died a broken man in 1982; Hope returned to New York; Sikkim began a new phase as India’s twenty-second state.Based on exclusive interviews and new archival research, this is a thrilling, romantic and informative glimpse of life in a lost paradise.
How to Read Amartya Sen
Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen is one of the world’s best-known voices for the poor and the downtrodden, and an inspiration for the proponents of justice across the globe. He has contributed almost without peer to the study of economics, philosophy and politics, transforming social choice theory, development economics, ethics, political philosophy and Indian political economy, to list but a few.
This book offers a much-needed introduction to Amartya Sen’s extraordinary variety of ideas. Lawrence Hamilton provides an excellent, accessible guide to the full range of Sen’s writings, contextualizing his ideas and summarizing the associated debates. In elegant prose, Hamilton reconstructs Sen’s critiques of the major philosophies of his time, assesses his now famous concern for capabilities as an alternative for thinking about poverty, inequality, gender discrimination, development, democracy and justice, and unearths some overlooked gems. Throughout, these major theoretical and philosophical achievements are subjected to rigorous scrutiny.
How to Read Amartya Sen is a major work on one of the most influential economists and philosophers of the last few centuries. It will be illuminating for readers keen to understand the breadth of Sen’s vision, and an invaluable resource for scholars, policy makers and global activists.
Amie And The Chawl Of Colour
A magical tale of bringing color back into the city.
All color has left Amie’s city, Doombay, making its usually friendly people think in black and white and come to fists over petty differences, and issues of caste and religion. Worse still, it makes Amie’s mother ill. The only way to save her is to bring color back. So Amie embarks on a quest to Hue Country, meeting along the way her allies Mitey the flea, Soma the ant, and the rat Dveeja. But the problem is greater than Amie has anticipated, for Hue Country, where colors are sieved, sifted, sang and danced into being, is besieged by the evil, egoistic Emperor of Gloom and his minions. A fascinating tale of imaginary landscapes and magical adventures, in the tradition of The Little Prince and Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Amie and the Chawl of color marks the debut of a promising new talent.
The Cowherd Prince
Govinda Shauri always has a plan.
Govinda, son of Nanda-one of the many cowherds in the verdant kingdom of Surasena, in Aryavarta-was content with his tough but wonderful life. That was until the king’s men came looking for him and his brother, Balabadra, spewing death and destruction in their wake.
Forced to leave behind those they love in order to save them, the brothers are now on the run-all the while being hunted by the tyrant king, Kans, and his bloodthirsty adviser, Chanuran, who will stop at nothing to kill them.
Even as their journey reveals Govinda’s true identity as a prince and the rightful heir to the Surasena crown, it pulls them deeper into the murky secrets surrounding the throne-and its bloody legacy.
What will it take for an ordinary cowherd boy to grow into a master strategist who will always have a plan?
Gods, Graves And Grandmother
The Hindu Young World
A treasure house of exciting and informative quiz questions.Do you know what a camelopard is? Can you name the postman in the Asterix comics? Can you say offhand which animal is measured in ‘hands’ rather than feet? Would you be able to reel off the name the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra? Do you know how many runs Don Bradman scored in his last Test innings, how many moons Venus has, and what the opposite of gravity is? If a number of these questions have got you stumped, never fear. The Hindu Young World Quiz Book 1 is chock-full of information like this, and it has been designed specifically to give you and your friends a rollicking good times even as you learn about new things on every page.This first-ever official quiz book from The Hindu Young World draws on V.V. Ramanan’s immensely popular quiz column in Young World, the Saturday childern’s supplement to The Hindu. It is a companion volume to The Hindu Young World Quiz, currently India’s biggest live quiz show for high school students-in 2002 it was held in eleven cities, with 3000 teams from over 1200 schools participating.The 1200 questions that make up this first volume of The Hindu Young World Quiz Book are a heady mix of general knowledge, curious factoids, and trivia. Comprising questions divided into sets of ten, this book is ideal for quizzing with friends, and also for reading on one’s own, for information and sheer pleasure.
Life Tree
In this moving collection of poems, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam takes us into his world, full of simplicity and beauty, understanding and compassion. Kalam’s love for the country shines through as he inspires us and urges us to break the barriers of caste, religion and language. He wonders at God’s creation in his paeans to nature, while imparting a deeply personal touch to his observations of human relationships. The Life Tree is an intimate introduction to Kalam the man, his life and his inspirational thoughts.